


With a hoarse voice, under the blankets

by Crystalized_Flowers



Series: The Ways We've Said "I Love You." [2]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Didn't let it turn into a one-shot confession scene so deal with the ending, M/M, Prompt #2, Sick Fic, Small Drabble, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-16 03:23:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11245311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalized_Flowers/pseuds/Crystalized_Flowers
Summary: Ranmaru's sick and it kinda might be Ai's fault.





	With a hoarse voice, under the blankets

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a prompt series, check out the series to understand.
> 
> Ahaha, the first conversation reminds me a lot of Shouta and Tatsu's short banter during the introduction of 5th stage. I even changed the wording of Ranmaru's reply to make it similar.

Coughs erupt again from the lump buried underneath the sheets, and the android perched on the edge of the bed lets out a small sigh, though his emotions also include a twinge of guilt.

"You should take better care of yourself."

"I don't want to hear that from you," comes the hoarse reply immediately. Ai doesn't respond right away, and the blankets shuffle until a gray eye peers out, watching Ai's conflicting expression.

Ranmaru feels a sudden jolt of worry that he has struck a nerve within the other idol and he is about to apologize before Ai beats him to it.

"Sorry." His voice is quiet and it barely reaches Ranmaru's ears. "It's... my fault, isn't it?"

Ranmaru gazes at him in shock for a moment, but he can't help the small hidden smile that rises to his face. Even now, though Ai had asked him to help him, it surprised Ranmaru how many emotions the android had developed, how easily he could pass as completely human now. Not just because of his looks, but because of how much more expressive he had become.

Ranmaru turns over to his other side, not allowing Ai to see his expression. "Yeah, it's all your fault, Ai. You've become so stubborn lately. Why the heck would you accept a filming job in the rain? You know that your systems can't stand it. And without telling one of us! How were we supposed to know that you just shut down when the staff told us that you collapsed?! They don't know that you're a robot! And we thought that you might have caught a virus or something broke!" He stops, his voice not able to take all of the talking.

Ranmaru meant to tease the android's new emotions a bit, but by the end, his voice had become rather rough with his own emotion. None of Quartet Night had reprimanded Ai yet for what had happened a couple days ago, simply being glad that he was safe. Ai was the mediator of their group, the one that the other three all got along with. Sometimes, they forgot that he was still yet a child, though in these types of situations, they are suddenly painfully aware that he is still the youngest of them all, someone that they felt obliged to look after.

"Sorry." He can hear Ai quietly say behind his back again. "I really made all of you worry, didn't I? Reiji was really upset. Even Camus looked relieved to see me. And you ran all the way to the filming site in the rain." His normally blank voice is full of guilt and Ranmaru feels bad for the anger in his voice before.

"Whatever, Ai. Just don't do it again." He lowers the volume of his voice and tries to soften it to put the android at ease again. Though his tone of voice is not exactly gentle, Ai seems to understand.

Comfortable silence falls over them for a while, before Ranmaru's coughs once again break it. Ai hands him a glass of water as he manages to sit up, his face flushed from fever.

After a muttered "thanks," Ranmaru drinks it all in one breath. At least he was recovering. Ranmaru usually didn't get sick, and when he did, it didn't last long. The worst of the fever had been yesterday, but now he was feeling much better. He watches as Ai takes the cup from him.

"Don't you have your own work, Ai? I can take care of myself." He grumbles as the android returns to his bedside, trying to word his sentence so he doesn't sound ungrateful. Honestly, he didn't mind. If it was up to him, he would want the him to stay longer.

Ai seems to note his way of speech with a bit of confusion, but he replies normally. "After I collapsed on set the other day, Shining decided to let me take a few days off because even though I said I could work, the staff on set refused to allow me to 'damage my health further.'"

Ranmaru grunts in acknowledgement. He lies down again, deciding to go back to sleep.

"Also... I wanted to ask Ranmaru something." Ai's voice holds a bit of hesitance. Ranmaru waits for what he has to say, drowsing off.

"Why did you... go to such lengths for me? You didn't even take an umbrella or a bus, which would have been faster. Reiji told me that you were really worried about me. When I asked him why, he said that it was because Ranmaru cared a lot about me. What does that mean?"

It takes him a moment to process Ai's words, but when he does, Ranmaru freezes under the blankets, suddenly wide awake.  _Reiji?!_ How did  _Reiji_ know?! He  _had_ thought that he was pretty good at hiding his feelings.

_That bastard, that's why he was smirking when I came back with Ai that day!_

"...Ranmaru?" But right now, his problem wasn't Reiji, it was Ai.

He is panicking internally. He has no way to answer the innocent curiosity, and his mind is blank. He can feel his face heating up, though it definitely was not because of the fever.

"Ranmaru, judging from my data right now, the emotions that you are feeling are panic and embarrassment. Did I say something wrong?" Confusion and concern are in the android's voice. Ranmaru groans silently.

He felt a happiness when Ai said that he could stay earlier, but talking to the android any longer would not be very good for him, considering that Ranmaru recognized his feelings for him.

He had been sure they would fade away over time though. It would be troublesome if he acknowledged them to Ai anyways. Ranmaru was quite good at hiding his feelings in normal situations anyways, so it was fine. It was actually pretty difficult to get him flustered about these types of things unless it was very direct. So he wasn't planning to do anything about his feelings, even if they had become steadily stronger rather than dissolving.

Unfortunately, the android isn't very cooperative.

"Ranmaru? This emotion that you are feeling... Is it-"

He suddenly blurts his feelings out, his voice barely audible under the blankets. He curses himself the moment that he does, but what is done is done. He can hear Ai's surprised intake of breath.

He can't do anything else but wait with bated breath as the android slowly takes in his words. The silence is not a comfortable one like before, but instead tense, with one of them exposing himself as vulnerable and the other holding control over him, even if he did not realize himself.

But to Ranmaru, the silence is a moment of hope. It's a moment of anticipation where a burden has been raised from him, a moment where he can let himself believe.


End file.
